


God is Real

by mldrgrl



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Nothing lasts forever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 20:44:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14120448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mldrgrl/pseuds/mldrgrl
Summary: Someone asked me for some fluff related to Nothing Lasts Forever





	God is Real

“Mom wants us,” Billy said, taking Dana’s hand and pulling her away from her dolls.

 

“Why?” Dana asked.  Her mother had been crying for days and it scared Dana just a little.  She’d only ever seen her mother cry on the days when Daddy left for sea, but not big tears that rolled down her cheeks like now.  When Daddy left, her mother’s eyes were just a little damp. 

 

“Because she said so.”  Billy was the boss when Daddy was away, so said Billy.  When he told Missy or Dana to do something, they better listen, because he was the mannathehouse.

 

Dana was only four and had to take the stairs one at a time, holding on to the rail.  Billy was impatient and tugged on her hand so she tugged it out of his grasp and scowled at him.

 

“You’re such a slowpoke,” Billy said.

 

Dana stuck her tongue out at him and didn’t let him take her hand again when she got to the bottom of the stairs.  She marched beside her brother into the back den where her mother was. Missy was there beside her. They were both kneeling as though they were in church.

 

“I found her,” Billy said.

 

Her mother’s eyes were red and wet.  Missy glanced up and then quickly bowed her head before she got caught.

 

“Kneel beside me,” her mother said, holding her hand out to Dana.  “Billy, you too.”

 

Billy got down on his knees and Dana did too.  Her mother’s hand was damp and clammy and it made Dana uncomfortable.  

 

“Pray with me,” her mother said.  “We must all pray for Charlie right now.”

 

“Why?” Dana asked.

 

Billy reached over and flicked her ear.  Dana glared at him. Missy had her eyes closed and her hands clasped together, her lips forming silent words.

 

“The doctor said Charlie isn’t getting better,” her mother said, the last of her words disappearing in her throat.  She let go of Dana’s hand and covered her face for a few moments before she shook her head and clasped her hands. Fresh tears fell from her closed eyes and rolled down her cheeks.  “We must ask God to watch over Charlie and protect his soul.”

 

Billy flicked Dana’s ear again as she stared at her mother and she swatted his hand away from her.  He dutifully clasped his hands and glared at Dana until she did the same and then he closed his eyes.

 

Normally, Dana only prayed at before bed or in church.  She’d never experienced prayer out of desperation, only as a ritual to be performed on specific occasions or when she had to tell when she was naughty so she could ask for forgiveness.  She closed her eyes and concentrated.

 

_ Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray...but, I’m not going to sleep, so that doesn’t make sense.  God bless Mommy and Daddy and Bi...and Missy and Charlie. And God bless Charlie more because Mommy said so.  God bless Mrs. Smythe’s new puppies that her dog Honey had. There are four puppies and I’m four too. I want to have one, but Mommy said no.  Please can you tell Mommy that puppies are nice and that I should have one. Mommy only listens to you and to Daddy. You are the boss like Daddy is the boss, but not like Billy because Billy is not the boss.  Can you please tell Billy he is not the boss, only you and Daddy are the boss. Maybe you can just give me a puppy because you are the boss and you don’t have to ask Mommy like I do. It’s okay if it’s not one of Honey’s puppies, you can give me any puppy as long as it’s not too big.  Amen. _

 

Dana opened her eyes, but the rest of the family was still praying, so she closed her eyes again.

 

_ Halemary full of grace, can I please have a puppy?  I asked God for one earlier, but if you could also tell him that I should have a puppy I think that would be nice.  You are Jesus’s mom so that makes you another boss. Even though Jesus is a boss and your son, Billy is not a boss. Please tell Jesus and God that I would like a puppy.  Mrs. Smythe’s Honey had puppies and if I- _

 

“Our prayers will be answered,” Dana’s mother suddenly said, interrupting Dana’s thoughts.

 

“How do you know?” Dana asked.

 

Billy flicked Dana in the ear once.  “That’s a stupid question,” he said.

 

“You’re stupid,” she replied, pushing him away from her.

 

“Dana, William Jr., I don’t want that kind of language in the house.  Charlie will be alright because God has heard our prayers and knows how much we love him.”

 

_ God, Halemary, Jesus, bless Charlie. _

 

A week later, Charlie came home from the hospital, but he coughed a lot and her mom wouldn’t let them play with him.  Dana was skeptical about the whole prayer situation since Charlie came home, but there was no puppy with him.

 

Daddy returned from sea just in time for Christmas, and he said he had a surprise for them that couldn’t wait.  Even though it was Christmas Eve, he called Billy and Missy and Dana downstairs and their mother collected Charlie from his crib.  He had a box in front of him on the floor but the box wasn’t wrapped, just sort of loosely closed at the top so that the flaps lay flat, but weren’t taped like a box should be.  Dana could swear she heard something move inside.

 

“Alright now,” Daddy said.  “Everyone be very quiet so we don’t scare him.”

 

“Scare who?” Dana asked.  

 

“Shhh…” Daddy whispered, and crouched down to open the box.  As soon as the flaps were opened, a little puppy head poked through with a soft bark and a whimper.

 

Dana gasped.  “My puppy!” she cried.

 

“I’m the oldest, I get to hold him first,” Billy said.

 

Missy was afraid of dogs and hid behind their mother.  Daddy lifted the puppy out of the box and carried him over to Charlie, quiet and wide-eyed in their mother’s arms.  He nuzzled his cheek against the puppy’s head and giggled. The puppy licked his nose. He wouldn’t go to anyone but Charlie.

 

Disheartened, Dana went up to her room and hugged the stuffed dog on her bed.  Daddy came up and sat beside her and asked what was wrong.

 

“I prayed for a puppy,” Dana mumbled.  “But, I think God got all mixed up because He was just supposed to make Charlie better and send  _ me _ the puppy.  But, he just sent a puppy to Charlie.”

 

“The Lord works in mysterious ways, Dana.  Sometimes we don’t get what we want, but in time, we see we’ve gotten exactly what we needed to.  Do you know how lucky you are? You just witnessed a miracle.”

 

“I did?”

 

“You know firsthand what the power of prayer can do.  Some people can live their entire life without knowing.”

 

“One day I’m gonna have my own dog.”

 

“I bet you will, Starbuck.  Why don’t you come downstairs though and play with this one first.  We need your help to think of a name too.”

 

“I have a name for him.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Boss.”

 

Daddy chuckled and patted her on the back.  “Seems like a good name.”

 

_ Dear God, Halemary, and Jesus, please make the puppy love me more than Billy.  Amen. _

 

The End


End file.
